I know, I know. It’s
only September and I’m already posting about Christmas.
And to think, I got
annoyed last week when I saw Halloween things in CVS. Hypocrite much?
While I know that we still have a whopping four months until
the holidays, it’s time to start.
Starting the season early has many benefits that serious
savers need to bank on.
That means get up and
get ready to start playing Santa Claus!
As sick as this sounds, I made my first Christmas gift
purchase almost a month ago.
Typically I don’t start THAT early, but it was such a great
deal that I couldn’t pass it up.
We’re talking a $60
toy that I got for $15 after sales and some serious couponing. Score!
If I could find closet space in mytiny apartment to hide gifts and save cash, you could too.
The money you’ll save
is worth the extra time and effort. You’ll
also save yourself some stress!
Ten ways to save
money holiday shopping.
1. Start as early as possible.
For the amount of gifts I have to get between family and
spoiling Mushy, 4 months is a key number.
Avoiding the holiday madness will save money on gas, your valuable
time, and crazy holiday mark ups.
Spending smaller
amounts over a longer period of time will lessen the blow and saves serious
stress!
2. Get organized.
Create an excel spreadsheet listing everyone that you know you
will need to buy a gift for.
This allows you to track everything and prevent
overbuying. Overspending doesn’t save
you money.
Excel is seriously a
money lifesaver! I use it for everything
from grocery lists to my monthly budget.
3. Set a per person budget.
Add a new column to your spreadsheet to budget a reasonable amount
you will spend per person.
Setting a budget changes perspective. You’ll save money by avoiding expensive gifts
you can’t afford.
Extra Tip: I make 3 columns-Budget amount, gift worth,
and money spent. I track everything!
4. Shop the weekly circulars for your favorite
stores.
Pick your favorite store and browse their weekly circular every
Sunday to stumble on great deals.
Over the course of four months you’re guaranteed to get all the
gifts at a sales price and really save.
Not to mention, it’s a
lot of fun trying to snag deals! I eep every
time I see a toy at a great price.
5. Hunt for multiple coupons.
Utilize websites like CouponSherpa, RetailMeNot, and Coupons.com
for savings on top of sales.
Some stores, like Target, let you use store coupons AND
manufacturer coupons for triple savings.
Nothing makes me
happier than seeing my sales total cut in half using stacked coupons!
6. Discover the Target Cartwheel application.
When you shop at Target, sales prices, store coupons, and
manufacturer coupons are just the start.
The Target Cartwheel app adds on additional discounts taken
from your total. Download it and use it!
To add to the fun, last
season Target added a toy a day for an extra 50% off using the Cartwheel.
7. Make use of the dollar store.
No matter how many coupons or sales you find on wrapping
supplies, you’ll rarely beat the $1 store.
I buy all of my tape, gift tags, tissue paper, gifts bags,
ribbons, bows, etc from the dollar to save cash.
I don’t buy dollar
store wrapping paper. I can cheap out on
most wrapping supplies, but not paper. #Fail
8. Shop craft fairs.
Every year my church and the local schools host crafts fairs
with lots of vendors and activities.
I love these to buy smaller gifts such as handmade soaps, potpourri
bowls, or local artwork.
Not to mention, Santa
Claus and his little helpers visit the fair to take some free pictures!
9. Wrap “filler” gifts.
When playing Santa Claus, wrap one big gift, several medium
gifts, and a few filler gifts.
A filler gift is something inexpensive and silly, but still
fun to open and serves a purpose.
Last year I got my God
son a snow ball maker/mold as a filler gift from Walgreens for $2. He loved it!
10. Avoid using credit cards.
The money saved shopping for deals and using coupons means
nothing if you’re being charged interest.
Try to pay cash for all holiday gifts to avoid interest
charges. Starting early will help make
this feasible.
If you need to pay
with a store card to use a coupon, pay the full balance off before interest can
accrue.
How do you save money
holiday shopping?
I save by not holiday shopping LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm all for shopping early when you see a good deal! Just don't bring out the decorations until Thanksgiving is done! lol....
ReplyDeleteI do mine online, easy to find coupons and I'm always done by november, except maybe the dirty gifts from Cassie and Orlin lol
ReplyDeleteGreat tips, and it's never too early to shop for those special people in our lives. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis will be my year to get it done early! I swear, every single year I try to do it and never do, and this is my year. and yes, the dollar tree for wrapping stuff, always- always.
ReplyDeleteI really like the dollar store for gift bags and greeting cards. I get most of my nephews and nieces toys from Ollie's Bargain Outlet. They specialize in factory sendbacks and other stuff. Some of their things aren't a good deal, but you never know what you might find. It's kind of like Big Lots but with more variety
ReplyDeleteI made my first gift purchase a few weeks ago too, and I'm also a hypocrite because I got annoyed a store here had Halloween stuff out so soon. I hide gifts in my luggage haha
ReplyDeleteI started my Christmas shopping several weeks ago. When I see something at a good price that would make a nice gift, I'm all over it.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Sounds like a plan, Janie.
DeleteI've never head of that Target app, sweeeeet! Thanks for sharing, all very helpful tips.
ReplyDeleteBreakfast at Gracey's
RetailMeNot is suuuuuch a great resource- I use it before I pull the trigger on an online purchase!
ReplyDelete-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Avoid using credit cards? How in the world am I gonna do that? What... you made your first Christmas gift purchase almost a month ago? Well, I'm impressed. You sure ARE methodical. X-mas... it's only111 days away from you. Be patient and shop wisely.
ReplyDeleteI know "holiday" is kind of a dirty word right now but there's no shame in being prepared. I'm working on Thanksgiving things already
ReplyDelete15918meiqing
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